Warwickshire Police Student Officers support road policing operation, Nuneaton

Twenty Warwickshire Police Student Officers have taken part in a high visibility roads policing operation, 38 vehicles were stopped.

The opperation took place on Wednesday 23 October 2019 in the Abbey Street area of Nuneaton and was aimed at increasing public confidence and preventing and reducing crime.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition equipment was used to support the student officers and experienced police officers were used to intercept members of the public and bring them in to a safe area for the student officers to speak to them and deal with any potential offences.

During the operation 38 vehicles were brought in to the check site. As a result of checks and examinations 7 vehicles were seized for tax and insurance offences, a further 8 vehicles had offences that they were reported for or issued notices to rectify the fault and one male was arrested on suspicion of obstructing police officers and numerous road traffic offences. 

Three taxis were checked for road worthiness and Nuneaton Borough Taxi Licencing were also on the site.

Three vehicles were also prohibited from being driven any further due to the dangerous condition they were in.

The operation provided the student officers with an opportunity to increase their skills and experience in dealing with road related incidents, whilst being accompanied by trainers and experienced officers to ensure a proper process and give a safe learning environment.

PC 120 Pete Hayes, who coordinated the operation said “This is an excellent opportunity for the student officers to put the theory into practice at the same time as making the roads of Warwickshire safer.”

Earlier this month, Warwickshire Police announced that police officer numbers in Warwickshire are set to top the 1000 mark for the first time in a decade. 

Local communities in Warwickshire are set to see more visible policing as officer numbers, already heading for a decade high, will receive government funding for additional frontline constables. The Home Office announced on Wednesday 9 October that Warwickshire Police will receive funding to recruit an extra 41 officers by the end of 2020-21. The announcement tops a record-breaking year for officer recruitment for Warwickshire Police, with the force already on track to top 1,000 officers for the first time since 2009. The substantial increase in officers will significantly ease the pressure on frontline staff, enhance visible policing and improve public confidence, further protecting communities in Warwickshire from harm.